by C R Riley
He is Jaxon Cristiano and no man could look like him even if they tried.
Chapter Six
Jaxon spotted the car pulling up long before he heard it. His nerves have been on edge all morning, ever since he ordered the ladies breakfast. The note he sent with Martin, along with his specific instructions, was something new for him. Probably why the older gentleman had looked at him so strangely when he gave them.
From that point on, he has been pacing the master suite. One he was going to have redecorated the moment he returned to Southern California. It reminded him too much of the man who owned this home prior to him.
This was the first property he bought. As a way of testing the waters before Austin and he struck, seizing the other three that were in trouble. The Cristiano Real Estate executives handled this one and executed the purchase openly. He wanted his father to believe the transaction was about business and nothing personal. Personal would have cost him a great deal more. And because this property was the one he was most interested in, he didn't want to pay more than necessary.
The houses on the property are the same as he remembered, with a few exceptions of course. There have been updates made to the main house, and the vegetation has matured. The guesthouse, however, was where he held most of his memories. It was where he had spent most of his time when he was here as a very young boy with his mother. He was glad to see the Spanish style home had not been demolished or made to look different from how it had back then. It provided him with a small connection to the woman he missed every day. His mother left a sizeable hole in his life when she died, one that had remained empty long after she was gone.
He steps outside the French doors of the office attached to his room, onto the balcony, and watches. The three women are wandering around the guesthouse property while they talk. He can't tell if they like the place or not. All he can determine from this vantage point is that they seem to be laughing and enjoying themselves. When they take the boardwalk down to the beach, he steps back inside and descends to the main floor.
"Did you wear a spot on the floor upstairs?" Geoff asks from the lounger he is reclined back in soaking up a few rays on the back patio.
"I see they at least are taking a look at the place." Austin nods at the group wading in the surf. "What are you doing?"
Jaxon remains standing as he stares out over the vast ocean in front of him, keeping Johannah in his peripheral. "Heck, if I know. Tell me this. If you lived my life and suddenly found a woman that broke through your walls like she has. What would you do, Austin? Continue living your life like you have always done? Or would you dive into the unknown and pray you were doing it all right?"
"She's an enchantress, I'm telling you, man." Geoff's amusement about the unexpected situation radiates in his voice. "You should most definitely dive. Just make sure you have all your gear with you so you don't get… the bends when you resurface."
Jaxon genuinely smiles at his friend as he shakes his head. "I believe the bends may be the least of my concern."
"Are you really smiling? Geez, Jax, I didn't know you knew how."
Which isn't really true, it just didn't happen very often. Jaxon never had a lot to smile about. Plus, it wasn't something he felt the need to do until he met Austin. After his mother's death, no one seemed to care enough to make him try to smile. Then Geoff came along, and it was hard not to crack one every so often. The only time he ever truly smiled was around these two. Only doing so when he found something worth smiling about.
"I think I have been smiling since last night." He admits to his friends.
"And chattering like no tomorrow. If I have to listen to your voice too much more, I may have to buy earplugs. Usually, the only time you chatter like you have been is when we are working on a deal." Geoff turns his gaze to the ladies. "I guess maybe that is exactly what you are doing, huh?"
"I have no idea. Do me a favor, when you see them coming back, head that way. I don't want to pressure Johannah. Plus, I need to make a phone call." Jaxon turns back to the house.
"You could call her Jo like she has asked, you know," Geoff tells him as he slips on his flip-flops.
"Jo is a guy's name. It doesn't suit her." Jaxon continues to move through the doors and back up to his suite.
He steps back onto his balcony and grips the railing in front of him as a voice comes through his headset. "Mr. Cristiano, how may I be of assistance?"
"I need a background done immediately. Just a general one, for now, please. Name is Johannah Kohl." Jaxon responds to his assistant.
"Date of birth?"
"I don't have that information, Seth."
"No problem, sir. Do you have a photo? I could have Raphael run it through facial recognition."
Jaxon lets out a hard breath as he processes that suggestion. Does he want to violate her like that? Maybe he should just ask her all he wants to know. "I don't know if I need to do that. Geez Seth, I honestly have no idea if this is even appropriate behavior."
There is a slight chuckle that drifts through the line. "So, this is a for a woman you are interested in then, sir, not someone you wish to employ."
"Yes," interested in is exactly what he is.
"Then may I suggest you go a different route altogether? Maybe ask her directly any questions you'd like answers to. That is usually how relationships work. If she has grabbed your attention, Mr. Cristiano, she must be a very special woman. Women tend to take offense when a man goes behind their back."
"I wouldn't know that now, would I? Thanks for the advice." Jaxon watches Johannah as she moves closer, so he ends this. "Look, forget about what I told you. Instead, contact the woman who decorated the house off Presilla Drive. See if she knows someone or if she is interested in redecorating the home here. I need this done ASAP, Seth. I can't continue to occupy a house that has Lucas Jackson reminders all over it."
"I'll get right on that, sir. Good luck with Johannah Kohl. I'll keep my fingers crossed and send up a few prayers, asking God to guide you."
Jaxon ends it before his assistant discovers too much. "Appreciate that. I'll talk to you in a few days."
He slides the phone in his pocket. Removes the hands-free device before he steps outside to meet Johannah. When he rounds the corner, she stops and stares at him, so he extends his hand hoping she accepts it. After she studies him thoroughly, she takes the last few steps, then places her hand in his.
"Johannah," he squeezes her hand with his. Still astounded by the fact he can hold her hand and not feel the least bit anxious about it.
"Jaxon, I dig your bungalow." The smile that takes over her face has him smiling too.
"And did you dig the bungalow's guesthouse as well?" He leads her to the back patio where a pitcher of water sets on the minibar. "Would you like something to drink?"
Johannah nods as she releases his hand, taking a seat on one of the many chaises. "You have a lovely place here. Austin and Martin said you bought it when you acquired the resort. Austin mentioned something about it being an acquaintance of yours."
Jaxon stops pouring momentarily and glances up at Johannah. He can decipher that she is aiming to get a read on his response to the particular question. Apparently, his friends did more than he expected them to do.
"What else did Austin and Geoff tell you about me?"
"Nope, that isn't how this works, Jaxon. You don't get to avoid a response by asking what your friends felt I needed to know when you refused to make an appearance, after such a generous offer." Johannah accepts the glass Jaxon offers her and takes a sip. "So?"
"Yes. I knew the man well. Although I'm not sure you'd call him an acquaintance." Jaxon downs his water then takes the seat next to hers. "I bought the resort and this piece of property from my father."
Johannah says nothing. She waits him out to determine if he'll share more.
"I recently acquired three more properties from him as well. My father and I aren't close. We haven't spoken since I graduated from college. That was when
I took the money in my trust fund and used it to start my own company. It didn't take me long to build a successful business. I used several of the contacts he introduced to me when he still believed I would one-day work side by side with him. Instead, I betrayed him, used those contacts to build a much more reputable company than his.
"In time, I added to that company and expanded it. Bought a small real estate business and renovated it to what it is today, Cristiano/Boyd Real Estate & Management Firm. Then a few years ago, I decided to buy a small tech firm, because I got tired of buying other company's products. I built it up and turned it into Cristiano/Taff Technology. I have made both those companies stronger than any of my father's."
"Who is your father?" Johanna doesn't believe he has ever mentioned him in any of the articles she has read.
"Lucas Jackson."
"Wow. Guess that explains why your name is Jaxon Lucas." Johannah never would have guessed. He looks nothing like his father. Apparently, he does business entirely differently as well. Lucas Jackson is a bloodhound in the business world, while Jaxon Cristiano is known as the gentle giant.
"He hates that my mother spelled my name abnormally. He changed it when I came to live with him, however, I refused to write it like his. Eventually, I changed it back once I was old enough to do so." Jaxon drags a hand through his hair. "Can we please not talk about him? So, have you decided about the house?"
"I don't think I can…" Johannah stops when Jaxon shuts his eyes.
"Why? No one is using it. It's pointless to let it go to waste like that. And think of the money you all would save." Jaxon reopens his eyes again when he feels Johannah's hand brush his arm. "You are so beautiful."
"Thank you. Tell me why you want me to accept your generous offer."
Jaxon reaches out and takes her hand in his, then stares at it. "I've never had this before. Never. Holding your hand in mine like this seems like a dream. Are you a dream, Johannah?"
"No. And you can call me Jo. When you call me Johannah, I keep looking around for my mother or father. They are the only people who ever use my full name, and it is never a good thing when they do." She takes her other hand and places it on top of his.
"Jo doesn't flatter you. It's so plain and simple. You are anything but plain and simple." Jaxon reaches up and brushes his knuckles across her jaw. "How about if I call you Hannah? It means gracious, mercy, full of grace. I believe that name suits you so much better than Jo."
Johannah blinks back the waterworks in her eyes that surfaced during his proclamation. No one has ever bothered to make her name sound so lovely. Everyone has always called her Jo because it was easier to say than Johannah. And since she grew up with four brothers, it seemed to fit.
"Sure," she answers when she believes she can speak.
"I enjoy my privacy, Hannah." Jaxon explains more. "As you have figured out, I do my best to avoid crowds because I don't like being touched."
"You suffer from Haphephobia."
And yet once again, Jaxon is blown away she would even be aware of the name of that phobia since it is so rare. "Not exactly. I don't necessarily fear being touched. I literally can't stand the effect of someone touching me. If I feared being touched, then this wouldn't be possible." He holds up her hand that is resting in his. "I have learned to tolerate it some if I know it is coming. Austin and Geoff are allowed to slap my back or clasp my shoulder. But honestly, even that is almost too much."
"Why?" Johannah runs her thumb over the hand holding hers. "How is my touch different from theirs?"
Jaxon turns her hand over traces the lines on her palm. "Usually when someone touches me, my skin feels as if it is on fire. And to make matters worse, I suffer from it for hours afterward. It's worse if I don't expect it or don’t know the person. When the guys dare to slap me like they do, I still react, and depending on my mood when it happens, gauges my reaction. It can burn, or at least it is very noticeable, and the sensations linger longer than I'd like.
"So, I have discovered ways to avoid putting myself in certain situations. I can't always avoid touch. There are times a handshake is required and considered polite. When I am faced with that, it takes a lot out of me. Often requires me to have some alone time so I can regroup and refocus."
Johannah has a few questions. "So, it's worse when a stranger touches you and you aren't expecting it, than when a colleague or someone you know touches you, as long as you are prepared." When Jaxon nods once, she keeps going. "What about your father?"
Jaxon's body tenses at the mention of his father. His answer is quick and to the point. "He doesn't touch me. I'll never touch him again or let him touch me physically either."
That raises so many flags, Johannah doesn't even know where to start, so she leaves it alone. "Okay. What about your mother?"
"Died when I was six." Jaxon's gaze shifts to the ocean. "She was always allowed to touch me. Her touch brought me comfort. Although she was sick most of my life, and she herself found it very painful because of that. On her good days, we would make up for the days she just couldn't take it. She had brain cancer, neurofibrosarcoma. It affected her connective tissue and made each nerve highly sensitive.
"I can see the wheels turning in that pretty head of yours. So, to answer your next question, yes, I have always suffered from this. My mother said I was a sensitive baby who required loose-fitting clothes and her. I didn't tolerate others holding me, would scream my head off. And when I got older, I would cling to her. Run and hide from my father when he would come around, which by the way wasn't very often. A story I don't want to get into right now. Once she died, Hannah, no one bothered to figure out why I was the way I was. I was ignored until I was old enough to work. Then I was forced to learn the business because it was my birthright and only because of that."
Johannah can't help how she reacts. She takes Jaxon's face in her hands and holds it there. How could anyone ignore this handsome man? If he suffered from some kind of disorder that made it difficult for him to tolerate touch, ignoring him only intensified that. He has lived an incredibly lonely life for way too long.
"How is mine different, Jaxon? Why am I allowed to do this?" She asks as she senses him lean into her hand. The knowledge of why breaks her heart. To think he has never been able to have this until now is so tragic.
Jaxon leans into her touch. The caress of her skin against his is so comforting. "Warm. Safe. Welcoming."
He opens his eyes only to find hers affectionately engaging his. "It's difficult to explain, really. Completely unlike any touch, I have ever experienced before. Until last night, I never realized how much I craved to have it. To be touched by another human without the pain. Which is why I need you close to me while I have you available to do so. Why I invited you to stay in my guesthouse.
"Imagine a life without touch of any kind. Think about how important that is to you, how important it is to humans. Touch is everything. It's how most children show affection to their parents. They hold their hands, hug them, and cling to them when they are scared. Young people going through puberty, experiment with it. It's how love is expressed between lovers. Imagine all the things you take for granted when you are capable of it.
"When you avoid it, you miss out on so much. Until last night, I had never held a woman's hand willingly. Never held a woman in my arms. Never hugged one. I have never stolen a first kiss. There are so many things I have never achieved, all because of my inability to handle touch.
"Then you show up and open my world to an entirely different one. Do you understand why now? Why I need this even if it is only for a short amount of time, Hannah."
Johannah doesn't hold back the tears burning her eyes. How can she tell this beautiful man no, after he opened up to her like that? "Okay. Okay."
Chapter Seven
Johannah's phone rings around three o'clock the following morning. The ringtone immediately catches her attention and has her on high alert. She snags it off the nightstand next to her bed, "Special Agent Kohl speaking
."
"Sorry, I know it's late and you are on vacation." A female voice echoes through the line. "It's Colton."
"It's fine. Tell me what the problem is." Johannah flips on the light next to her bed and sits up.
"There was a situation earlier." The agent then explains. The longer she talks, the more Johannah understands.
She has been with Colton since he was four. He picked her out of a crowded room of agents. The boy walked right up to her and grabbed her hand. Did that while his parents were being introduced to the agents assigned to protect their family.
Johannah was in attendance to observe only. Rosetta Andrews didn't care she was a junior agent with a year of experience still undergoing training. Her son didn't take to people easily and had chosen this woman out of all the other agents in the room. She wanted Johannah, no matter what it took to get her, to be the agent in charge of her son. It took a few years for her to be allowed to call the shots. But because of Rosetta and Colton, her career took the fast track to the top.
"Let me talk to him," Johannah steps out onto the balcony of the guesthouse. The girls insisted she take the room upstairs; it had the best view. And since they had her to thank for the free accommodations, it only seemed fair.
"Jo. Jo. Jo. Where are you?" She can hear the panic in the young boy's voice. "I need you."
"Colton, take three deep breaths for me." She hears him doing it. "Now tell me where I am."
"Vacation. Birthday celebration trip with Kendra. Paige is also with you." Colton repeats exactly what she expected. They had gone over her plans before she left several times.
"That's right. And I left Agent Wells and Agent Barker in charge to make sure things run smoothly." Her voice remains calm while she reminds him. Sometimes he just needs to hear a familiar voice, her voice.
"Not smoothly. Wrong route. Bad day. Bad day. Bad day." Colton is doing his breathing again without her having to instruct him to, and that makes her grin.
